Vietnam’s parliament on Wednesday elected Police Minister To Lam as state president, in a move that analysts see as a “stepping stone” for Lam to later bid for the post of head of the ruling Communist Party, the country’s top job.
Lam’s election followed Monday’s appointment by Vietnam’s National Assembly of its new chairman, former deputy Tran Thanh Man, potentially temporarily ending two months of heightened political turbulence that saw three of Vietnam’s top five leaders resign for unspecified misdeeds.
In line with normal procedures in the tightly controlled one-party state, lawmakers unanimously voted on a resolution approving Lam’s election after a secret ballot for him, the sole candidate for the post. That followed his appointment by the Communist Party last week.
